Background The emergence of COVID-19 has devastated many parts of the world. From asymptomatic to symptomatic, the virus causes a wide spectrum of presentations. COVID-19 patients may present with oral manifestations. In Afghanistan, where COVID-19 has severely strained the health care system, much of the population lacks proper oral hygiene. This makes the oral cavity a perfect site for SARS-CoV-2 to manifest clinical signs. Case presentation A 62-year-old male was evaluated in the Dentistry Teaching Clinic of Kabul University of Medical Sciences for a painful erosive lesion on dorsal surface of his tongue. He also complained of fever, cough, and taste alteration. He was referred to Afghan Japan Hospital for COVID-19 testing and tested positive. He was followed on for the treatment of SARS-CoV2. After 2 weeks, the patient tested negative and returned to the dentistry clinic for follow-up. Although there were no other signs of COVID-19, the painful erosive lesion on his tongue persisted. Oral evaluation were performed and the patient was advised to practice good hygiene. After 10 days, we observed an asymptomatic geographic tongue without fever and myalgias and the lesion of dorsal surface of tongue improved from severe condition to moderate. Conclusion In conclusion, patients with suspected or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 should be screened for symptoms and physical findings in the oral mucosa To prevent such an outcome, awareness programs need to be implemented for the diagnosis and management of clinical symptoms among patients.

Despite ongoing insecurity, Afghanistan has demonstrated improvement in health outcomes. Reasons for this success include a strategic public-private health service delivery model and investment in Afghan health care workforce development. Afghan universities have the primary responsibility for ensuring that an adequate health care workforce is available to private and public health care delivery settings. Most entry-level health care providers working in Afghanistan are educated within the country. However, university constraints, including faculty shortages and limited access to professional development, have affected both the flow of the health care workforce pipeline and the skill levels and competencies of those who do enter the workforce. Aware of these constraints and workforce needs, the administration at Kabul University of Medical Sciences (KUMS), working in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education, prioritized investment in strengthening technical and academic capabilities within four faculties (anesthesiology, dentistry, medical laboratory technology, and midwifery). KUMS partnered with the University of Minnesota in 2017 with United States Agency for International Development support through the University Support and Workforce Development Program. Together they established a unique training-of-trainers (TOT) faculty development program to improve faculty knowledge and skills specific to their technical expertise, as well as knowledge and skills in instructional design and research methods. In this article, we describe the successes and challenges associated with partnership development, implementation, and sustainability.